Chargers’ Latest Signing Will Dissly Reopens Justin Herbert’s Old Wounds from Oregon Days to Forge Team Camaraderie

Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers have already signed a couple of free agents, Will Dissly and Gus Edwards. Dissly was a former Seattle Seahawks tight end who was a 2018 fourth-round pick. But he was released by the franchise last week and has found a home in Harbaugh’s roster with a $14 million contract over three years and a guaranteed $10 million salary. 

Will Dissly is no stranger to the Chargers’ teammates, especially with starting QB Justin Herbert, who was his rival during college. After playing at Boise State, Dissly transferred to Washington in 2015, and the following year, he landed a crushing blow to Herbert, who entered as a college freshman in Oregon. Now that he’s a teammate of the Pro Bowl winner, he has something interesting to say about beating him in college in the past.

Will Dissly recounts the 2016 Washington vs. Oregon game as a fond memory

At a recent press conference, the video of which has been uploaded by Los Angeles Chargers on YouTube, the 27-year-old dug into old college memories of when he was a Washington player who defeated Herbert during his time as an Oregon player. He said, “It’s probably one of my favorite days of my entire life. We broke the streak and beat Oregon finally and we hung 70 on them.”

In October 2016, the Washington Huskies defeated their arch-rival Oregon Ducks in a crushing 70-21 victory. Despite Herbert’s impressive stats with 512 yards and six TD passes, his team finished 4-8 and failed to make a bowl appearance for the first time in over 10 years. Dissly added, “But now we’re teammates so we’ll let college be in the past.” It remains a suspense how Dissly could contribute to the Chargers offense.

Will Dissly fits Jim Harbaugh’s offensive vision 

One of the main things Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers are focusing on for the 2024 season is boosting their run game. The zeal, confidence, and readiness to sacrifice for his team are clear when he says, “I always say that run blocking is a ‘want to.’ A lot of guys are just as big or athletic as I am, but I take pride in that I want to do it a little more.” He added, “The O-line looks better, the running backs look better. It’s a bit of a sacrifice that I’m more than happy to do.”

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Last season, Dissly recorded a career-high run-blocking grade of 77.2, ranking second among all TEs, per Pro Football Focus. The 6’4, 265-pounder played 72 career games with 127 catches for 1,421 yards and 13 scores. He’ll be a valuable addition to the Chargers’ offense in pursuing a Super Bowl.

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